FF: Well I would ne-ver …

Back when I was a vegetarian (from about age 10 through ~25) I used to declare “I can assure you, I will never, ever eat red meat again. Even the thought of it makes me nauseous.”

I was indignant. Perhaps a little hoity-toity. Sometimes I would gag for effect (affect?).

I was never a veg out of principle, but rather because around 10 or 11 I started throwing up after any meal that contained red meat. My mom, thinking I was just being a difficult kid/picky eater took me to the doctor to prove herself right :). It was determined that I lacked the enzyme to break down the protein found in beef (or something like that). Because meat made me so ill, I started hating the taste, too, due to the association with what would happen.

I never missed meat.

Then my mom and I stopped at Foster’s on our way home from Woodbury one day. She ordered London Broil, I ordered pasta or a salad, or something. I ended up eating more than half her meal, ordering my own London Broil and taking my original dinner to-go.

Since then, I have eaten just about anything (although pork, straight up, still doesn’t thrill me). More importantly, I have not said “I will never” — about anything.

Life is circumstantial and it’s nearly impossible to say “never.”

AKA, I would like to say I would never smoke pot — and I have no plans to. But, if I was suffering and medical marijuana helped, I may — may — change my mind.

I’d also like to say I would never intentionally physically harm another human being, but … if said person was somehow threatening the life of someone I love, and self-defense was in order, that “never” may not apply.

So, for today’s FF, what’s your Foster’s steak? AKA the one thing that made you, personally, realize “I would never” may be one of those things we should never say?

33 Responses

There have been a few times I’ve said, “I would NEVER” but it was in high-school and I can’t recall what it was about – other than things I’m not willing to share. I can say that everything I did say it about, I ended up trying and sometimes even liking…

I always thought “I would never cheat on a boyfriend.” Then, when I was 21. I did. I’m not happy about that (there were some extenuating circumstances, but I don’t think that sort of dishonesty is justifiable.) But in a way I am glad it happened, because it made me realize that I am not so moral as to be beyond temptation. Probably no one is. Now I am much more careful about allowing myself to get into a “dangerous” situation

This might sound silly, but I once said I would never own a pit bull. I heard the horror stories, and while I am more knowledgeable than most about animsls (have a BS in Animal Science), it was just a risk I didn’t want to take. Then, 7 years ago, I stumbled into a situation where a dog who happened to be a pit was in a bad place and needed a new owner. I took him in, and the rest is history. When he passed away in July 2010 from cancer, it was one of the most devastating things I’ve gone through. And I am now the incredibly proud owner of another pit bull. I can’t imagine living my life without this amazing, personable, loyal, funny, majestic breed in my life.

I have found the most dangerous area to be in child rearing. Before kids I used to use “I will/would never…” a LOT! Now with two teenage children, I have eaten my words more than I can count on fingers and toes. The superiority of those declarations is quickly replaced with humility.

Nice post…I had a hard and fast rule about black olives. Then one day, one fell into my salad, onto my fork and into my mouth (that was one magic olive) and I haven’t stopped adding them to my salads since. Little did I know that the olive would be a metaphor for life.

I was fishing in the morning and my father fried up some SPAM like bacon. My wife told me she would never eat the stuff, when I told her one morning will have spam. My father told her it was a different type of bacon/ham (I guess thats kind of true) and she ate everything that was given her. When I returned from fishing to find out she just ate spam I fell on the ground laughing.

i agree with #5, before i had kids, i had a whole host of “i would never”s. the biggest one being, “i would never let my child use a pacifier” well, now i have a 3 year old that steals her baby brother’s pacis the minute i turn my back.

Well I guess I am following your post somewhat I said after the birth of my daughter 21 years ago I cannot eat red meat again, and I still don’t. It makes me sick the thought of it after giving birth in a sterile OR, while still on the table and my placenta in a big stainless steel bowl to the right they brought me in a steak dinner…I worked for ARC at the time and we used those bowls for food prep of our 13 clients I was horrified. If they waited until I was cozy back in my room I would be ok, when I tell people this they don’t believe it but it’s true. They weren’t even done cleaning me up and it was the OR!

I used to believe that I would never have a child without being married first. But obviously, that has changed. I had to realize that my desire to become a mother far outweighed my desire to be married. Plus being married doesn’t necessarily mean that you are a better parent to your children. I have seen married couples who are crappy parents, and I have seen single parents who are the best parent that any child could ask for.

I said I’d never move back to Maine… I sent a resume & cover letter in for a job 40 minutes from where I grew up last week. When I started dying my hair brown I said I’d never go back to blonde – three years later, and luckily my natural color is still just as light as it was when I was little. I’ve always said that I will never have kids… my friends and I are still waiting for that one to change.

One thing I am saying “never” about is that I’m never having kids. I’ve been alive 34 years and 4 months and never for a single second have I ever wanted to be a mother. That, I can say with 100% certainty will not change. I love (most of) my friends’ kids, but have zero desire to take them home.

As an aside to Stephanie (#7), any basic English course would teach you that you capitalize the E in English. But I digress… I’ve always said I’d never have any plastic surgery, but as I get older, I’m starting to waiver on that one as I look into the mirror.

#7 – Rude much?
Anyway,along like lines of your post Kristi, I was a vegetarian for about 6 years and I said I would never eat meat but I have started eating chicken and will have an occasional burger. Still don’t do steak and not a pork fan either.

I will never let myself become unhealthy and fat. That’s my story and I am sticking to it. I write this as I wolf down some peanut butter pie! But – then I will go and run 9 miles this weekend – so it all evens out!

I said I would never support my daughter if she had a baby before she finished college and 2 years in, she got pregnant. Now that I’m a grandmother (of the most beautiful baby girl on earth), I’m so in love with the Lil’ Princess and I can’t imagine not being there for my girls (although I do want to run away at times….lol).

I said I would never go skiing again after my little cousin died in a ski accident a few years back. I think I’m going skiing on Sunday, and if not sometime soon. Now I look at it as a fear I have to face.

Kristi, great post! Perfect for a Friday afternoon distraction. I’m so guilty of doing this. I’ll never join Facebook because MySpace is so much cooler (joined and thrive on it). I’ll never eat liver (it’s gross BUT I tried it.) I’ll never work in a cubicle farm (sigh). I’ll never want to move back to Albany (I think about it daily.)

I hate to pull a Stephanie but murmom, your post is very difficult to read (punctuation is our friend!) but I did catch your drift and that is disgusting! But kinda hilarious too. :)

A lot of my “I’d nevers” came from my goody-goody high school years. I’d never have premarital sex. I’d never live with a guy before marrying him. A lot of moral “I’d nevers.” I honestly can’t think of any now since, as HTG said, forever and never are a long time to think about!